Best cases to get your iPhone 5 or 5S through its lifetime

If you're worried about the sight of a crack appearing in that beautiful Retina display, here's our pick of the best iPhone 5 and 5S preserving cases that will keep your Apple smartphone in pristine condition much longer.

1. Knomo iPhone 5 Leather Folio

Price: £45 / $70

The plastic part of the case certainly grips the phone firmly, and the cover is then held shut nicely thanks to the elastic wrap-around band. The leather isn't of the best quality considering the high price point, though, and we found that bits of it tended to flake off around the spine.

2. Belkin Grip Glam Matte Case

Price: £18 / $30

Belkin's Grip Glam cases are made of thick rubber, and they certainly live up to the 'grip' part of their name. The case is comfortable in the hand and feels hard enough to keep the sides and rear of your iPhone 5 well protected. This also represents reasonable value for money at under £20.

3. Proporta Aluminium Lined

Price: £30 / $50

One of the best quality cases here: lovely leather, tidy finish and a good magnetic clasp. It folds in an unconventional downwards fashion and is also quite bulky, but if you prefer a flip-down case like this and you're after one made out of leather, this is the best on the market for the price.

4. CoolerMaster Aluminium Bumper

Price: £40 / $65

There's the essence of a good design here, but it's ruined by the huge gap at the rear that leaves a large section unprotected. Proceed with caution when fitting your phone, because this tough metal case could easily scratch it. Having said that, once it's on there, it's a very firm fit. ILUV NINJA £20 / $30 iluv.co.uk 5 If you're into your martial arts you might fall in love with this design, but it's not the great rubber case we were hoping for. The areas where the coloured design is printed are on thinner rubber, giving it an uneven feel – as a result the textured back doesn't feel particularly comfortable. There are better cases here for less money.

6. Gumdrop Drop Tech Series

Price: £30 / $50

When it comes to rugged cases, look no further. Gumdrop's Drop Tech Series iPad mini case is very highly rated, and here the design is almost identical, just scaled down. The fitting takes a little getting used to but, once in, your iPhone will be kept safe from all manner of scuffs and bumps the world might throw at it.

7. Pong Classic Soft Touch Case

Price: £40 / $65 pongresearch.com

Pong's range of iPhone cases make claims of improving battery life, boosting signal and even cutting out radiation, but we like this case simply for its good-quality hard rubber casing. We failed to find much in the their claims, but if you believe Pong's blurb, this is a hard shell you could easily learn to love.

8. Be.ez La Cover Allure

Price: £20 / $30

A very light but deceptively tough plastic case. We like the clear sides keeping the iPhone 5's silver or black antenna band on view. If the striped design is to your taste, then this is a close-fit hard shell worth your consideration. If stripes aren't your thing, it also comes in a variety of slightly more subtle colours.

9. Ichic Gear Oxford Tweed Slim Shell Folio

Price: £20 / $30

This fold-over case is super-protective, keeping all sides safe thanks to its plastic shell and solid clip. Flappy covers aren't for everyone (you sacrifice some convenience), but this is a fine example of the form - we really like the tweed, and the card-holder slots are handy, giving that 'flappy cover' an added feature.

10. Tech21 Impact Band

Price: £15 / $25

This case covers the outside edge of your iPhone 5 with a special impact protection material – it provides a sturdy surround, without adding much thickness. It keeps your phone safe from drops, but does make the buttons harder to press. The bottom is also annoyingly flappy, but it still gets a thumbs up because it can be found at very affordable prices online.